Issue - decisions

Received a report seeking ‘in principle’ approval for the Council’s Corporate Equalities and Diversity Plan (CEDP) for the period 2005 / 2008.  The CEDP (attached to the report as Appendix A) brings together all of the Council’s equalities and diversity work within a single framework.

Within the context of this strategic framework, all Departments will be required to formulate departmental Equalities and Diversity Plans (DEDP).  These are required to achieve level three of the Equality Standard for Local Government by 31 March 2006 and level four by 31 March 2008. 

Agreed, in order to ensure compliance with statutory duties under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and forthcoming legislation such as the new Equality Disability Act (2005), as well as to improve performance on equalities and diversity issues by providing a single master plan based on the Equality Standard and the employment and service delivery needs, as defined by consultation and impact / needs assessment, to:

1. Approve the CEDP in principle and note that it will be circulated to staff, stakeholders and partnership organisations in advance of publication; and

2. Instruct all Departmental Management Teams to identify the necessary resources to deliver the targets in the CEDP and DEDPs in 2005 / 2006 and include it in to the budget planning process for 2006 / 2007 and 2007 / 2008.